I have a technical question.? I have a WYSIWYG web editor tool (similar to MS-Front Page).? If I wanted to make changesto my project website pages via this tool instead of using the WFN site builder tool, can I do that?? If so, what settings would I use for the "publishing server" (ie. publishing address, user name, password) ?

Paul, our SiteBuilder tool is acting up. We are working on repairing it and on an alternate approach.

You aren't able to use a different tool because it won't have access to publish. We have to be careful about how we give edit privileges so that they don't get used to give someone intent on harm access to the entire website.

That's a bummer. I screwed up most of my links on the home page of the Sheets project. I thought I could fix itgoing into the source code and taking out all the slashes, however, that didn't seem to work. I hope it's fixed soon.

So, when you use FrontPage, I'm assuming you have access to publish. That makes sense. Too bad the adminscouldn't just have access to their own project pages. I was hoping to use a spreadsheet for the patriarch page soI could maintain off-line.

I'm having a problem with posting messages at my surname forum. It seems that it is eliminating some of the words and partial words that I have typedafter I post the message.

For example, the word "" disappears altogether. And the word "documented" becomes "doented". It's probably a spam filter of some sort,but how are we supposed to carry on conversations at our surname forums?? I can see eliminating the word "" if it has a space before and after it,but when it's part of a larger word, it should leave it be. And why is "" a keyword? I'm offering additional discounts from my surname generalfund, so I had to revert to using the word "savings" instead. It's pretty frustrating.

Well, I see it did it again!? ?The missing words from the above post in quotes were "d-o-c-u-m-e-n-t-e-d" and "d-i-s-c-o-u-n-t".

I'm wondering if instead of the spam filter, just make it harder to create a profile. Maybe ask for additional information on theprofile creation that would have to make some kind of sense.? Sorry, I'm just thinking out loud here.

Paul, I made a tweak which I think will solve your problem. Sorry for the disruptions. I am slowing the spammers way down - but haven't been able to totally stop them yet. Your suggestion of validating email addresses isn't one that I have found in the tool box yet. My skills and the tools in this forum software leave me with some tools and some gaps. Terry

I am the Project Admin for our Surname Camden and I am in the process of setting up the info on FamilyTreeDNA. I am researching sites to host our web page for results and I see a lot of families are using your site. Why would I want to use your site over FamilyTreeDNA's?

Hi Kim. Many folks prefer our websites because of the additional flexibility you have in reporting results - where you can put results in the sequence you want and colorize the cells as you want. You also have 6 pages where you can customize and present information and your own Forum. You also have better visibility for your project, as searchers can find you both through FTDNA and through WorldFamilies.net

Folks who prefer the FTDNA website like the fact that results can be automatically posted without admin involvement. I consider the difficulty of reporting results so that you can tell who shares a common ancestor and who is related within that group the biggest drawback. Very clever folks have been known to make their FTDNA pages very communicative, but most can't manage.

A third alternative is to operate from both, with the worldfamilies.net site where you send folks, where you present your best prepared information and also provide links back to the FTDNA pages, where the info is also available. This is particularly useful for mtDNA results.

You also have a choice if you use our website of opting into our system and gaining our help and tutelage or of simply taking our free site and operating it on your own.

TerryThanks for all your help. I filled out the request form, the surname is Camden. Have not heard of any variants yet. So will I be notified by email when my website is ready? Oh and can we get a Camden Forum also??

If anyone is interested, I found that MS-Word tables work better than MS-Excel. Word does not lose any formatting such as column centering. I not only use Word tables for my results page, but for all my other pages as well. You can customize colors in Word where you are limited in Excel. There are many advantages to using Word tables over Excel. For example, the underlining for links can be on specific words, instead of a whole cell in Excel. Here's an example of my project pages: http://worldfamilies.net/surnames/s/sheets/

Since Ancestry.com has entered the world of DNA, they have made provisions for 3rd party manual entry of test results possable. FTDNA being one of those approved at present, with others to soon follow. Some of my members will most assuredly ask my advice on the pros & cons of entering their test results at Ancestry. I would like to know what you think. I am sure there are other Admins that would like to know too.

Also, the Ancestry page is vague in how this will be displayed or used. What will we be able to do with it after we enter our results and how is it compared? Do they tie it to surnames or will you be compared to the entire database? I tried today to look for some results, but find nothing. Do you have any idea how this will work? Will they develop surname projects, compare pedigrees, etc. Or will they collect data then want to charge for access to this data? Lots of questions.

Perhaps some general guidance via e-mail to all Admins would be best? Thanks for your time.

Hi Dennis. Good Question. At this stage, I would suggest a wait and see approach to Ancestry. Once you share the info with them, you won't be able to take it back.

Ancestry is a newcomer to genetic genealogy (though they have been a reseller of tests in the past) and their initial mis-steps in this latest endeavor are indicating that they have a lot to learn.

There have been several major criticisms in the past about this company. One is a concern about their approach - which has been to collect all of the information they can get their hands on and then to turn around and sell users access to it. Another has been their provisions to provide folks with lots of ways to post information, but to provide essentially no mechanisms for changing it or for removing errors. A third has been the inaccessibility of their management. And, some of the admins whose information was transferred from RG have been upset by Ancestry's approach towards standards on privacy and personal discretion.

It's possible that none of these issues will emerge this time. It's also possible that they will emerge.

When I found another recent entrant to the field of genetic genealogy a year or so ago, I was quite impressed by their beautiful website. When I started digging around, I discovered that it was really a shell - with no folks in the projects. Some folks got sucked in by the glitz and tested there - usually to their dismay - as they found they were all alone. Unfortunately, we still don't allow folks tested there to transfer into our projects because we have never gotten a conversion table or any assurance that their results are repeatable. Texans have a phrase they use for the new "cowboy" who just bought a ranch and nice, new boots and hat. They call him "All hat and no cattle". That applid to that firm for sure - and still does.

I used to have to manually transfer the results provided by RG in my earliest surname projects. I found that I made a clerical error about every 10th result - and I was experienced and very careful. Do you expect folks who are only loading their info a single time will be as successful?

I have a question about your beta site. If we have "customized" our surname project site, will everything still work with the new site? I am currently using Word Tables for all my pages, and I want to know if they will continue to work after the upgrade?

Hi,I'm not sure if I post here by replying to the last message or what?

I was wondering about two things.First: what is this BETA version and where do I find out about it?And can any of you more experienced Surname list owners tell me if there are any sites you have discovered thathave Surname DNA results already posted that I could contact and try to get on my Hooker surname page?

I just got notified last night that our 11th member has ordered a kit and I have been "working" on that person for weeks.

I put a signature line in all my emails about the Hooker DNA Project and I also started a Hooker-North email list at Rootswebfor the Northern Hooker lines.

I don't know what else to do to get in touch with other Hookers other than to go to the Phone book or rather phone books for all over the country and send out bulk mailings.

I thought that there has to be other Hookers that have taken the DNA test from other companies. The ones I have found don't show results unless you order a kit.

Can anyone help me out with a bit of advice.I hate to keep bugging Terry. LOL

If I want to add another surname to my project, how do I do that? For example, how would I add variations of a surname? (Yancey, Yancy, Yance, etc.) How would I add another surname altogether (Yancey, Nanney, etc.)